CELEBRITY LAWSUITS Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

after selling their popular “Verzuz” series.The hit streaming rap-battle show, which was created by the two hip-hop producers in 2020, pits music artists against each other in the form of freestyle rap.Swizz Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, and Timbaland, real name Timothy Mosley, agreed to sell the series’ rights to Triller, a TikTok competitor, in January 2021.But after the sale deal, the pair alleged that the company, created in 2015 by financier Ryan Kavanaugh, defaulted on the deal after just two payments.Specific terms of the settlement did not immediately become clear.“Verzuz has always been a platform that is by the artists, for the artists and with the people,” Swizz Beatz and Timbaland said in a statement, according to Variety. “We’re glad to come to an amicable agreement with Triller and continue giving fans the music and community that they’ve come to know and love from the brand.”After news of the lawsuit broke in August, Triller told The Post that the suit was “truly unfortunate” and had hoped to “resolve this amicably and quickly.”“We hope it is nothing more than a misunderstanding driven by lawyers,” the company said.

child molestation lawsuit filed — and dismissed — against her and Aries Spears. The 42-year-old “Easter Sunday” star was questioned by paparazzi at LAX on Wednesday about the situation after news broke that the Jane Doe who alleged sexual misconduct against the comedians asked the judge to dismiss the case.Although Haddish and Spears’ names are now legally in the clear, their reputations may continue to suffer — something Haddish said she’s already experiencing.

child sexual abuse charges after the plaintiff in the suit, named only as Jane Doe, dropped the case.According to new court documents obtained by The Post, the now-22-year-old woman asked a judge to dismiss the case with prejudice — which means it can’t be refiled again. She also released a statement with the news, according to TMZ.

Associated Press reported that it was Martin’s nephew, Dennis Yadiel Sánchez, who made the filing.“These claims are wildly offensive and completely untethered from reality,” Martin’s attorney José Andréu-Fuentes said in a statement to Deadline. “When this man previously made similar allegations, his legal case had to be withdrawn — not least because he himself admitted under oath that Ricky Martin had never assaulted him in any way.”The Latin pop icon filed his suit against Sánchez Sept.

sexual abuse allegations made against her and fellow comedian Aries Spears.In an Instagram post on Monday, the 42-year-old wrote, “I know people have a bunch of questions. I get it. I’m right there with you.

according to a report in the Daily Beast. The lawsuit claims that the kids went on to call “Aunty Tiff” and that she referred to them “as her nephew and niece.”While at a comedy camp in 2013, Haddish is alleged to have asked their mother if Jane could film a skit, but only she and Spears knew its plot, the lawsuit states.Jane reportedly shot a video that included a Subway sandwich, in which coeds were instructed to start “moaning and making sexual noises as they both ate the sandwich in a manner that simulated the act of fellatio” from opposite sides of the sub.“Haddish verbally explained what was expected of Plaintiff Jane Doe and then showed Plaintiff Jane Doe how to give fellatio, including movements, noises, moaning, and groaning,” the lawsuit claims.

in their ongoing defamation battle — raising concerns it will stall their upcoming trial, new legal filings show.The “Tik Tok” singer’s lawyers say she is “more than eager” to face the music producer at their upcoming trial — but expressed concern the case could be jeopardized if her two pending appeals are left unresolved, according to the Tuesday filing in Manhattan Supreme Court.“Kesha has an overwhelming interest in having the trial proceed as scheduled on February 20, 2023, not only so that she can seek vindication but also so that she can get this ordeal behind her and move on with her life,” the singer’s attorney, Leah Godesky, wrote to the judge.“While Dr. Luke contends in his letter that he is eager to try this case, he has been doing everything possible in the Court of Appeals to prevent that from happening,” the filing says.The 35-year-old hitmaker has attempted to speed up briefing deadlines, so that oral arguments in both appeals can be heard in either October or November, but those requests have been rejected by Luke, 48, and his legal team.“Kesha has accordingly done everything in her power to try to ensure that trial will begin as scheduled, including by seeking to expedite proceedings in the Court of Appeals.

hit streaming rap-battle show, which was created by the two hip-hop producers in 2020, pits music artists against each other in the form of freestyle rap.Swizz Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, and Timbaland, real name Timothy Mosley, agreed to sell the series’ rights to Triller, a TikTok competitor, in January 2021, TMZ first reported.But now, the pair allege the company, created in 2015 by financier Ryan Kavanaugh, defaulted on the deal after just two payments, according to documents obtained by the outlet.It’s reported that a new payment plan was later agreed upon, however, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz claim they haven’t seen the money hit their accounts yet after it was due in January.The pair are seeking compensatory damages of $28 million, as well as $95,000 as interest, as well as attorneys’ fees, and costs.“Defendants have failed and refused to respond to plaintiffs’ written notice and demand for payment,” Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s lawyers wrote in the complaint, according to Billboard. “To date, defendants have failed and refused to make any payment to Mosley and Dean of the past due sums due and owing, and defendants continue in default of their payment obligations.”Triller did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment — but Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s legal reps claim in the suit: “The aforesaid defaults constitute material breaches of the agreement by defendants.

sexually assaulted her when she was 12 years old in 1965 dropped her federal lawsuit against the legendary singer and songwriter on Thursday, his attorney said.Dylan’s lead attorney, Orin Snyder, said the suit was a fraud and guided by lawyers, not the woman herself. “This case is over. It is outrageous that it was ever brought in the first place.

since the shocking case was withdrawn on Thursday morning.“For two weeks, I was not allowed to defend myself because I was following a procedure where the law obligated [me] not to talk until I was in front of the judge,” Martin said in a video obtained by TMZ, adding now that the claims have been “proven to be false,” he wants to tell the “truth.”“It has been so painful. It has been devastating for me, for my family, for my friends, and I wouldn’t wish this upon anybody,” Martin revealed on Thursday.“To the person that was claiming this nonsense, I wish him the best and I wish he finds the help so he can start a new life filled with love and truth and joy, and he doesn’t hurt anybody else,” Martin continued.The Grammy winner went on to say his priority now is “to heal,” which he’s doing through music.“I cannot wait to be back onstage,” he continued, which he’ll be doing this weekend when he performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.

According to TMZ, sources with direct knowledge of the situation say Martin will appear via Zoom before a judge in Puerto Rico on Thursday.The news comes after Martin denied the allegations that he and his 21-year-old nephew had a “romantic or sexual relationship” for seven months.“Unfortunately, the person who made this claim is struggling with deep mental health challenges,” Martin’s attorney Marty Singer previously told The Post. “Ricky Martin has, of course, never been — and would never be — involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew.” In fact, Singer went on to call the claims “disgusting” and “untrue.”“The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting.

had posted on the day of the blaze that, “We’re talking to Taja Abitbol. She’s obsessed with astrology and recently didn’t think what her astrologists said would come true but it did.”In her appearance on the show, Abitbol then explained how her astrologers told her she would move out of the apartment she has just moved into — a prediction that came true when she was forced to relocate to a hotel in the aftermath of the blaze, the suit states.“Yesterday morning, I basically set the house on fire during Mercury retrograde and I had to move.

insisted she stands by “every word” of her testimony. In fact, Heard doubled down on the allegations that Depp abused her during their “ugly” marriage — and bluntly accused him of lying after he repeatedly denied her claims on the stand during the six-week trial.

reunited in court with Johnny Depp next month when she defends the actor in his latest legal drama.Vasquez, 37, attained celebrity status during Depp’s headline-grabbing defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard — and is now gearing up to represent him again as he faces claims he assaulted a worker on a film set.The attorney will be part of Depp’s legal team when he heads to Los Angeles Superior Court next month to answer the lawsuit brought by Gregg “Rocky” Brooks, the location manager on Depp’s 2018 movie “City of Lies.”Brooks claimed in legal papers that Depp, now 59, twice socked him in the ribs and then allegedly yelled, “I’ll give you $100,000 to punch me right now!”Depp may testify in the LA trial — which is slated to begin July 25 — weeks after taking the stand in Fairfax, Virginia, in his defamation case. Vasquez ascended from associate to partner at law firm Brown Rudnick during the six-week Depp-Heard trial, going viral during her cross-examination of Heard.

just attack ex-husband Johnny Depp in her first interview about her humiliating courtroom loss — she also took direct aim at his now-celebrity attorney Camille Vasquez.Speaking to NBC News for a one-hour “Dateline” special, Heard, 36, showed clear disdain when Savannah Guthrie asked about Vasquez’s repeated argument that the actress gave “the performance of her life” and was merely acting in her explosive courtroom testimony.“Says the lawyer for the man who convinced the world he had scissors for fingers,” Heard shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm while referring to Depp’s performances in the 1990 fantasy “Edward Scissorhands.”“I’m the performer? I had listened to weeks of testimony insinuating that — or saying quite directly — that I’m a terrible actress.“So I’m a bit confused how I could be both,” she said snapped in a teaser of the interview released Tuesday.Heard only mustered backhanded praise when Guthrie bluntly asked her if she thought she lost because her ex-husband “just had better lawyers” than her.“I will say his lawyers did certainly a better job of distracting the jury from the real issues,” the actress replied, without ever directly naming Vasquez or her colleague, Benjamin Chew.Vasquez’s winning performance during the explosive six-week trial made her an unexpected star as well as a newly promoted partner in her firm.She had both opened and closed her case by suggesting that the actress would merely be performing on the stand.“She has been living and breathing this lie for years now, and she has been preparing to give the performance of her life in this trial,” Vasquez said during opening statements in April.Then in closing arguments late last month, she told the court, “She came into this

defamation trial served as a source of entertainment for millions of people around the world — and even catapulted a relatively unknown lawyer from San Francisco to the world stage.Camille Vasquez, 37, has now admitted that her newfound fame is a “bit overwhelming” for the lawyer. “But if I can be an inspiration to young women that want to go to law school and study and work hard, then it was all worth it,” she said Wednesday while appearing with beside fellow Depp attorney Benjamin Chew on “Good Morning America.”The winning duo also stopped by the “TODAY Show” Wednesday, and Vasquez gave a nearly identical statement on the public’s fascination.

#JudyBellinger, the #Depp v. #Heard freelance court reporter, said in an EXCLUSIVE interview that some jurors were dozing off during the defamation trial. pic.twitter.com/4w87MArswyThe stenographer also noted that the most attentive juror was an alternate who was not even involved in the final verdict.“Unfortunately, the one alternate that was on there — she was probably the one that listened the most,” Bellinger said. “I watched her facial expressions.

Camille Vasquez, 37, has become a household name as one of Depp’s lead lawyers who helped him win his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, 36.She caught audiences’ attention during Heard’s cutthroat cross-examination, often sparring with the actress on the stand. One fan admired the lawyer so much that she even tattooed an outline of Vasquez onto herself. The successful attorney also made headlines as people questioned the extent of her relationship with Depp, 58, with some speculating that the two had begun a romance during the trial.Couple rumors spiraled when Vasquez failed to answer reporters’ questions about the extent of her relationship with her client coyly laughing and throwing her brunette waves over her shoulder.

Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, isn’t having a very merry start to the summer. In documents acquired by The Post, Andy Stone, who co-wrote Vince Vance & The Valiants’ country song “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” is suing Carey for copyright infringement — claiming the diva never sought or obtained use of his title for her perennial monster holiday hit. Stone is also coming after Carey’s co-writer on the song, Walter Afanasieff, in the civil suit, which was filed in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana.Stone released his 1989 twangy version — which musically and lyrically sounds nothing like Carey’s pop performance — eight years before Carey changed the holiday season forever in 1994.

victorious courtroom showdown with ex-wife Amber Heard — a new album with guitar god Jeff Beck.The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star has already joined the “Hi Ho Silver Lining” rocker on a series of high-profile UK gigs — even missing the court decision ruling that he was defamed by his ex.Hard-living Depp, 58, didn’t mention his $15 million win during his latest appearance, in Gateshead — but buddy Beck referred to it, according to the BBC, who quoted him as saying, “What a result.”The guitar maestro then revealed what his Hollywood star pal was going to do next — teasing the crowd about the upcoming album while gushing about their friendship.“I met this guy five years ago and we’ve never stopped laughing since,” Beck told the crowd, according to the BBC.“We actually made an album. I don’t know how it happened.

Following Wednesday’s explosive verdict in the Amber Heard-Johnny Depp trial, the “Aquaman” actress’ former private investigator, Paul Barresi, weighed in on the ex-flames’ relationship, suggesting that Heard used Depp to get ahead in Hollywood, among other claims. “Amber in some respects was an opportunist on par with everyone else,” the 74-year-old Hollywood fixer told the Daily Mail in the wake of the defamation case, which saw Depp, 58, get awarded more than $10 million — a decision that his ex plans to appeal.Heard, 36, had originally hired the PI to dig up dirt on the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star ahead of their trial, according to the Daily Mail.“When Amber hired me, she wanted proof that Johnny was a serial abuser for women,” said Barresi, who was previously enlisted by another client to probe unfounded claims that Tom Cruise had a gay affair.

bombshell defamation case against Amber Heard, experts say.Now that the 58-year-old “Pirates of the Caribbean” star has told his side publicly, legal and PR professionals told The Post a jury ruling in his favor doesn’t matter as much.“When [Johnny Depp] stepped off the stand, I think he already won based on his definition of winning,” said Texas civil attorney Katherine Lizardo. “Because he already obtained the favor of the court of public opinion … once he told his story.”Depp testified for four days during the second week at the Fairfax, Virginia, trial — and then again for more than three hours on Wednesday.He is suing his ex-wife for $50 million, alleging she defamed him in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse.

become a household name in recent days, thanks to her cutthroat cross-examination of the actor’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, at their blockbuster defamation trial in Virginia. But while the legal eagle, 37, has been savaging Heard on the stand, she has put on a far more affectionate display with her “Edward Scissorhands” star client, 58.

sensational defamation trial between the “Aquaman” actress, 35, and Depp, 57, resumed in Virginia. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million, claiming she defamed him in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed where she wrote that she had been a victim of domestic abuse.Depp has accused Heard of leaving the feces in their bed after a massive fight back in April 2016, shortly before she headed off to Coachella with her gal pals. But the blonde star snapped back on the stand, saying it was most likely Boo who defecated on the sheets because the dog had suffered lifelong “bowel control issues” after eating Depp’s weed while still a puppy.

that close.As the trial against Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard rolled on Friday, proceedings took an amusing turn when Malcolm Connolly, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star’s security agent, was asked if he’d ever seen his employer’s penis.“I think I would remember if I’d seen Mr. Depp’s penis,” Connelly said — prompting an eruption of giggles from Depp and others in the Fairfax, Virginia, courtroom.Connelly’s quip came in response to Heard’s lawyer, who asked if the confidante could describe his anatomy — per previous testimony that the actor had been caught urinating in the foyer of the embattled ex-lovers’ home.The uncomfortable question refers to the couple’s well-reported trip to Australia in 2015 that also saw Depp’s finger severed in a heated argument, according to prior testimony, which Connelly, a former prison guard, described as “chaos.”Connelly, who addressed the court via Zoom, also characterized the pair as once “lovey-dovey” and called Heard “lovely, charming.” However, that began to change, according to Connelly, about the time of the move Down Under, attesting that Heard had called Depp a “coward” as she bandaged his finger.Depp, 58, is suing Heard, 36, with a $50 million defamation claim over a 2018 op-ed she penned about domestic violence for the Washington Post.

during high-profile defamation suit against his former spouse Amber Heard says that his ex wife suffers from borderline personality disorder. Dr.

Kat Von D is facing new legal trouble in California.The 40-year-old is being sued for unpaid rent and damages to the rental property she transformed into her famed L.A. tattoo parlor High Voltage Tattoo, and she may be forced to fork out tens of thousands of dollars.Although details remain scarce, TMZ reported the property’s landlord is suing Von D for unpaid rent, claiming that she owes over $92,000 for remodeling fees and back rent.The back rent was from several months in 2020 and future rent that will come due in 2022.

The British pop star and his co-writers, Snow Patrol’s John McDaid and producer Steven McCutcheon, had denied allegations that the song copied part of 2015’s “Oh Why” by Sami Chokri, who performs under the name Sami Switch.Sheeran took to Twitter on Wednesday and expressed relief at his legal victory in Britain, though he decried what he called a “culture” of baseless lawsuits intended to squeeze money out of artists eager to avoid the expense of a trial.“Whilst we’re obviously happy with the result, I feel like claims like this are way too common now and have become a culture where a claim is made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than taking it to court, even if there is no basis for the claim,” Sheerhan said in a video posted on Twitter.

for a cut of his song-catalogue sale.Claudia Levy failed in her bid to overturn a previous Manhattan ruling that tossed her lawsuit seeking a portion of the money Dylan made when he off-loaded his catalogue to Universal Music Group in 2020. Levy had argued that her late husband Jacques Levy’s estate was entitled to 35 percent of the profits Dylan made when he sold the seven songs her husband collaborated on him with for the legend’s 1976 album “Desire.”But an appeals court Thursday found that Jacques Levy’s contract with Dylan was “unambiguous, and does not entitle plaintiffs to proceeds from the sale of the copyrights of the compositions cowritten with Dylan.”Levy – who died in 2004 – co-wrote the majority of the nine songs on the album with the “Blowin’ in the Wind” singer, for which he had received 35 percent royalties totaling roughly $1 million.His widow brought her the $7.25 million lawsuit against Dylan last year.“Today’s decision puts the nail in the coffin of this opportunistic lawsuit,” Dylan’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, said in a statement. “We are pleased the court has again rejected this sad attempt to profit off of Bob’s recent catalog sale.”Claudia’s lawyer did not return a request for comment.

have been embroiled in litigation since 2020. And on Monday, the label countersued, according to TMZ.Megan Thee Stallion — who is repped for management by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation — took to Twitter after the news broke, and appeared to take aim at Crawford’s label.“First the man over my label said I don’t make him any money … now he counter suing trying to keep me on his label because he wants to make more money lol if I ain’t making you no money why not just drop me?” she penned Monday, later writing in a separate tweet, “My lawyers asked him for an expense report (money 1501 supposedly has spent on ME)… why this grown ass man put his jewelry and chains on there… lord free me from this joke ass label.”Later in the evening Monday, Megan Thee Stallion then proceeded to call out Crawford directly, even accusing him of drug use.“Carl I don’t wanna be signed to yo pill popping ass!” she tweeted.